Cancelling an Instant Booking (how to cancel without penalty?)

[Ansar0]

Hi guys,

I am new to airbnb, and I have now got a few guests lined up, and hopefully more as my calender gets closer to opening up. I have a slight situation right now, where a very reliable and trustworthy tenant has requested to stay a little bit longer, which will overlap with my guests booking.

It was booked with instant booking, and the guest seems very nice. However, I have to cancel the booking.

When I started going through the options to cancel the reservation, there were warnings on every page about how I may lose my eligibility for Superhost status and other issues.

I read that cancelling "instant book" bookings are penalty free and should have no effect on my account status, but cancelling it through the website seems to be very daunting and will probably leave a big old negative on my brand new hosting account. 

Please advise on how to go about this, it would be highly appreciated! 

Thank you in advance. 

[Kathie21]

How long ago was the booking made that you now want to cancel?  If it was made before the existing guest asked to stay longer, then I would tell the existing guest that unfortunately s/he can't because you already have a booking.  If it was made after the request to stay longer then you need to update your calendar more promptly and will have to swallow whatever penalty Airbnb decrees.

[Ansar0]

Hi Kathie,

Thank you for the reply. The person currently in the apartment is a tenant (not from AirBNB) who has been using it as a go to between travelling NZ/Australia for work purposes. I have now cleared this up with AirBNB and blocked my calender until I am sure he has left, and I've had a chance to spruce everything up (probably won't be necessary as he is a very nice older gentleman). 

Luckily, there is no penalty but it is a lesson learned in being sure about things before going ahead! 

[Pete69]

I do just fine WITHOUT allowing instant book. The first and only time I allowed it, it was trouble and so I stopped using it. Very few listings in my area allow instant book anyway. I think it's only airbnb that puffs up this instant book feature which is more trouble than it's worth.

[David126]

I prefer IB but horses for courses.

[Helen56]

Yes, they 'puff it up' but most hosts don't really want it.  Love your terminology.

[Jeff158]

Its a big learning curve Ansar, you cannot cancel bookings, not only does it affect your reputation but also airbnb and every other hosts reputation.

Your existing guest has to leave so that the new guest can check in.

[Michelle1075]

I have a similar problem but my existing tenant was a long term Airbnb who booked for one month but in his introductory email it said he might stay longer.

He waited until the end of the month, however verbally I agree on renting him for another month. Suddenly, comes instant booking with a guy who disregard my petition to only book long term if fully employed. Legally in California after 30 days a guest becomes a tenant so if he wants to stay another 30 days legally he can. And I have to give him a 30-day notice to leave. But the instant booking guy became enraged and frankly aggressively angry. I am the only one in this area who has Quality lower price rooms. And he wants me to cancel pay 100 dollars and lose super host status. So, I think that I will be shutting off instant booking for good now. It's more trouble than its worth definitely. I won't be doing it because I live here. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Michelle1075 

You can cancel an instant booking penalty free if you feel uncomfortable about the booking. you are allowed 3 per year penalty free as a superhost.

FROM AIRBNB HOSTS DASHBOARD:

How do penalty-free cancellations work for Instant Book hosts?

Hosts who have Instant Book turned on for their listing can always cancel, without penalty, if they’re uncomfortable with a reservation.

Some examples of when a host can cancel penalty-free include:

• The guest has several unfavourable reviews that concern the host
• The guest hasn’t responded to questions the host needs to know about their trip
• The guest makes it clear they're likely to break one of the host’s house rules, such as bringing a pet or smoking

Cancelling a reservation without penalty

To cancel a reservation that you’re uncomfortable with:

1. Go to Your Reservations on airbnb.com
2. Find the reservation that you need to cancel
3. Select Change or Cancel to start the cancellation process
4. When prompted to choose a reason for your cancellation, choose “I’m uncomfortable with the reservation or the guest has broken my House Rules”.

When you cancel for this reason, all penalties will be waived.

Limits

You’ll be able to cancel online 3 times in one year for being uncomfortable with a reservation – after that, you’ll have to contact our Community Support team to make the cancellation without penalty.

If you cancel a large number of your instantly booked reservations, you may be required to turn off Instant Book. Remember that you can’t cancel for any reason that violates Airbnb’s Nondiscrimination Policy.

[Robin4]

Hi Ansar, you do not have a claim under Airbnb's extenuating circumstances policy here Ansar and if you cancel this IB reservation you will come in for a raft of penalties that will effect you for years to come.

I am going to include the extenuating circumstances help guide here for you.

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/1320/what-if-i-need-to-cancel-because-of-an-emergency-or-unavoida...

Your situation does not fit any of the criteria required I am afraid.

If you feel you have no option but to cancel, get onto the Sydney office on 02 85203333 and put your case to them and ask if they will relocate the guest or refund as a neutral cancellation. It can be done but Ansar, if you cancel ....you will come to regret it! 

Here also is the penalties for a host cancellation....

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/990/i-m-a-host--what-penalties-apply-if-i-need-to-cancel-a-reserv...

Ansar, if you wish to make a successful career out of Airbnb hosting you need to understand that a reservation is a committment and if you do not honour that committment you will find your future to be a rather patchy one!

You have a lovely listing and if I may I would like to make a couple of observations.

1/. You are too cheap....you are going to attrack 'bottom dwellers' at that price! People who want to party....a lesser class of guest. People are prepared to pay for quality, nice properties and yours is certainly a nice property....don't cheapen yourself for quick business. A property like yours in that area should sit at around $140 AU per night....not the $90 odd that you are charging!

2/. Please don't think this offensive Ansar, I am trying to help you here....I would consider changing your profile photos! I don't think they portray you to your best advantage! Try to post photos that are a bit more upmarket and stylish....I am not having a go at your appearance (which is great) it could attract the wrong class of guest. You don't want to be seen as a 'good time girl' and, men being what they are, may take them that way. 

I am sorry I had to say that Ansar but I have to call it as I see it.

Welcome to Airbnb Ansar, and I hope the company is as good to you as they have been to me!

Cheers.....Rob

[Ansar0]

Thank you Rob, I appreciate your response! I will take that into consideration when I'm available. Yes, I am aware that some people may take things far too seriously online , that is a good point. Good looking out 🙂 

I had very nice customer service person, Keneth, walk me through my situation and I came out clean - luckily. As far as pricing, I did that because I wasn't getting bookings, but after thinking it through, it is most likely because it is a few months away from becoming available in the calender. I will move up my prices accordingly.

Also, thanks for the compliment and checking out my property, it really is a shame that I don't currently live there, but hopefully some trustworthy guests may find it enjoyable while I am away 🙂 

[Helen56]

Hi Ansar, 

Yes, I agree with Rob's point #2.  You don't really need a glamourous photo for airbnb; you are selling your appartment, not yourself.  If you have a more serious photograph then people will be less likely to try and take advantage of you.  I'm not being sexist - I'm just being your mother - I have two daughters aged 28 and 30, I would say the same to them.  Your guests don't care what you look like - they just need to be able to recognise you when you greet them.  I doubt that you will look as gorgeous as your profile photo every time you greet your new guests.

Take care, you are intelligent and powerfull, as well as beautiful.  Intelligence lasts for ever.

[Ansar0]

Hi guys,

I really appreciate the responses! I can feel that this community is very supportive and I'll feel welcome here.

So here's what's happened: This was a booking made through instant-book, which allows it to be penalty-free if I am uncomfortable with the booking. Since the booking was for 2 months into the future, I messaged my guest and informed her that a long time friend and tenant requested a slight extension due to work reasons. The guest was happy that I informed them well in advance which is lucky.

I googled the phone number for AirBNB Australia (yes, it works surprisingly!), and a lovely service person walked me through the procedure to cancel the booking. It was easy, and there is no penalty because of the factors mentioned above. However, had it been through a regular reservation, it would have been very difficult to not get a nasty "cancelled" notification on the review page. 

This was an extenuating circumstance, but luckily enough time has been allocated now to start taking bookings.

Again, I appreciate the responses! Thanks for your help! 

[Kelly149]

just to clarify, the 'you may cancel an IB reservation penalty free' is meant to solve situations where the booking should never have happened in the first place:

- guest says they'll be breaking rules

- guest has poor reviews

- guest does not communicate clearly their plans

- host immediately realizes that there is a problem with dates

The cancellation is not meant to be an anytime I feel like it, change my mind situation. So, while ABB has helped you solve this problem, no one should feel like an IB (no matter how far out it is) can be deleted out of convenience to a host or another guest. Cancelling an IB should be because of some problem with the guest, not because the host has had a change of heart.

[Ansar0]

Hi Kelly,

Yes, I realize that. Unfortunately due to the timing of my tenant (who is a quality person who rarely uses the place anyway), I had to cancel the booking. He was set to leave the place a few days beforehand, but a work schedule has forced him to leave the country and return on a date which overlapped my booking. I have resolved this with AirBNB who thankfully understood my situation. All other bookings at this time are all set, and honored as per the guidelines 🙂